Shenandoah Valley Partnership, supporting economic growth

by Charles Hendricks | Aug 8, 2024 | Charles Hendricks, citizen architect, community

The Shenandoah Valley Partnership brings together local government, education, and business to increase economic development activity. Jay Langston and his team have done a fantastic job figuring out new ways to promote our valley in an ever-increasing competitive economic landscape. The result is amazing success at adding new jobs to our valley, growing existing businesses, and attracting new businesses.

“SVP is an awesome collection of businesses that understand the importance of supporting each other, combined with local government and education partners. This organization understands that a rising tide raises all ships.” Board Chairman Charles Hendricks continues, “it takes innovative leadership in our world to attract new business and to support existing business growth, and we have that at SVP.” From a local cooking show to a podcast series, Jay and his team are reaching a large radius of site locators in an authentic way. The message of collaboration among local business leaders resonates with how business wants to be done and these outreach efforts highlight that approach.

We need your help. If you want to be involved in SVP, reach out to Charles or Jay, learn more about investing in the partnership HERE.

90% of homes in the US are not designed

by Charles Hendricks | Aug 5, 2024 | architecture

A high percentage, 90% or more, of the houses built in the United States are not designed by an architect. Builders and developers that have expertise in efficiency of building make the design decisions. These homes do not look at quality of life, value added to the occupants, energy efficiency, or even the land they are sitting on. These houses don’t maximize the potential for natural light or think through how a particular family might live in the spaces created.

A house designed by an architect can significantly improve the daily lives of those living in the home. First is the functional layout of the house, which, when working with an architect, will go through careful consideration. The client is asked many questions about how they live and how they want to live. This is a time to dream of what could happen if the house you live in facilitated the life you want. Think about getting a home that captures the view of a sunrise while you comfortably sit and sip your morning coffee. What about when all the family comes together to celebrate and the home is sized to adapt, making a large group feel welcome and comfortable where daily the spaces are just right for your small family.

Architects will also focus on the aesthetic appeal of the whole home, details within the home, and help coordinate space to space. Thinking through bringing in natural light and ventilation will make the home warm and inviting. Of course, there is also the focus on building science that helps with indoor air quality and energy-efficiency. With an architect you will get the right spaces in the right places for how you imagine your dream life. The architect will balance budget concerns with quality goals. They will look at the land and how the house should sit in that space and make the home as future flexible as possible.

In a home designed by an architect there will be little things that you might overlook that make life easier. Window in the right place and right size, HVAC system that cleans the air you breath, and a kitchen that allows for gathering. The home will be a lifetime home and not just your new home.

Project Update: Elk Rock Meadow Custom Home

by Charles Hendricks | Aug 2, 2024 | architecture, project update

Our most recent Elk Rock Meadow custom home is moving along and now has walls, windows, and a roof. This Craftsman Style house is being built by Herr and Company.

The driveway brings you into the site and towards the front of the home. From there you can see the barn on the left and the incredible front porch. The two-story home on a partial basement will feature craftsman-style details including stone bases on the tapered columns. The barn on the left will allow our clients to have flexible workspace for their future hobbies. The two-story structure has garage bays and an open plan second floor.

The house entry is recessed giving plenty of room to greet guests while framing the view through the back of the house and out over the valley beyond.

The den in the back opens up to a large deck area where you will be able to enjoy some amazing views.

Pictured below is the house wrap that protects the walls from bulk water while allowing vapor to move through the assembly. This is an important element of the building science strategies used to make this home durable, efficient, and comfortable.

As the house continues to take shape we will post updates. To see past blogs about this project, you can visit Here and Here.

Ribbon Cutting at 910 E. High St Charlottesville Office

by Charles Hendricks | Aug 1, 2024 | architecture, community

Our Charlottesville office has moved back downtown and we celebrated with a ribbon cutting. This Charlottesville Chamber of Commerce event was a great way to introduce our new space to our clients and celebrate moving back downtown. Our company was founded 35+ years ago in Albemarle County and soon moved to the downtown to better serve our clients. Getting back to the downtown neighborhood was a goal for us as we love being in the heart of the business district.

This space allows us easy access to meet our clients and friends on the downtown mall for lunch and to support other locally owned businesses. The little blue house has a great location at 910 E. High St and our sign along the road is already getting a lot of attention.

Our new space features a first floor accessible conference room.

It also has private office space and an open studio.

Ray brought in a vintage bookcase that fits perfectly in the space and has some beautiful details.

If you missed the ribbon cutting, please stop by to see us. While we will not have food out for every visit you can always check to fridge to see if James packed his lunch – just tell him Charles said it was ok for you to eat it. I am sure he will not mind.

Rockingham County Timber Frame Custom Home

by Charles Hendricks | Jul 29, 2024 | architecture

Check out this Rockingham County Timber Frame Custom Home taking shape. Herr and Company has been hard at work getting the foundation installed and the frame walls in place to be ready for the timber to be installed. The timber frame was delivered last week and installation started immediately. The traditional peg connections are very cool to see going together!

When we first visited this building site with our clients, we fell in love with the incredible views. Moving the house to just the right spot, we were able to frame Massanutten Mountain from the main living space. We balanced the views with the desire to have ample outdoor spaces for family gatherings and intentional spaces inside the home.